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10 Ways to be a Good Daughter

Life has many roles for a woman and being a good daughter is one of them. Irrespective of whichever stage of life you are in, some basic ideas always come in handy to make the people who love you the most even happier. Check out this list of do’s on how to be a good daughter:

10. Mind your p’s and q’s

Every parent feels proud to have a daughter who is known for good behavior with others. On social occasions and particularly with relatives, behave very politely. Good-manners are for life and humility comes a long way. Remember to greet others well and exercise discretion in discussing anything potentially damaging to your family even with good friends. Avoid behaving like a demanding brat over potentially extravagant and superfluous needs. Try to be reasonably frugal over their hard-earned money particularly. Display a balanced approach.

9. A two way learning process

Incorporate the good practices your parents have tried to imbibe in you ever since you were little. Never do anything that your parents feel is wrong on a fundamental level for your life. This means staying away from harmful addictive substances, like alcohol addiction, chain-smoking that will harm your mental and emotional health. However, this is a two-way process. Ensure that your parents take care of their overall health as well by taking their medications on time, eating right along with an encouragement to stay physically active as they get older. In case they are having emotional problems, be supportive and make them seek help.

8. Encourage them like a dearest friend

Whenever a parent opens up about their feelings, display a quiet empathy and simply listen to them completely. Be their support system and encourage them to pursue whatever new project they want to undertake. Inspire them to do anything that makes them happy and fulfilled, such as an alternate hobby or passion. Be supportive and understanding of their choices in life.

7. Do the basics right- be on time!

A good daughter guarantees that her parents don’t have a reason to feel fed-up with any filthy habits such as not bathing regularly, wearing the same clothes for days etc. Keep your room tidy. Keep the essential documents and expensive items carefully so that you aren’t at a loss when you need them. Take responsibility for your belongings. Be focused on punctuality and plan properly. This gives your parents a sense of your maturity. They feel like you know the value of committing to a goal and time limit. In case you arrange to meet them and run late, let them know beforehand. Another aspect of being on time is to wake up early without their intervention. In order to implement being on time for their needs, you must plan ahead for aspects which complement the tasks. The process must be mentally thought out. However, if you make mistakes, admit them gracefully and learn from them.

6. Don’t forget the special days!

Remember their birthdays, anniversaries and other important holidays such as Mother’s day and Father’s day. The rationale here is that your parents will often see you go to parties for your friends or even arrange surprises for them. Let them get a surprise on their birthdays once in a while. In case you are short on funds, consider writing a letter to them, expressing why you love them and how significant they are to you. Suppose you don’t have much of a financial constraint, then do arrange something special for them, such as, a day out to a beautiful place or perhaps a massage session or prepare a dish that they love. You could get them a thoughtful gift as well.

5. Spend time with them

A good daughter makes time for her parents despite her busy life. This is essential for women who are in the working/living away from home phase of their life. Often, the initial phase of work is so hectic that you forget to call and eventually don’t call at all. It is necessary to respectfully explain this problem to them. However, make it a point to call up your parents’ at least 2-3 times a week and let them know what you are up to. In case you feel that calling is difficult in your hectic schedule, delegate weekends for a longer conversation time or text them regularly asking how they are doing.

A good idea would be to plan a weekend trip or visit them regularly. Simply talking to them any time when they are free works as well. During this quality time, open up to your parents over common things you may love or hate, such as a genre of music, movies, books, political discussions and so on. Try to share your feelings with them as much as possible. If you are feeling low, let them know and seek their perspective. In case, a moment of strife arrives, divert the topic. The idea is to bond instead of having more fights. For daughters who are internationally dispersed from their parents, consider using mediums like Skype by arranging a certain time of the week to stay in correspondence.

4. Those little things go a long way

Parents have very hectic lives and take on many responsibilities. Mothers often have to balance both house duties and working life demands. Thus, part of being a good daughter is to do little acts so that peace prevails in the house. If you live your family, this includes making sure that everything is well-arranged and offering to help out with housework to ease their pressures. Planning a special Sunday lunch or a surprise visit could bring a smile on their faces. Offer to help out with taking care of the younger siblings without any complaint. This involves handling their homework and academics. In case you are working or already a mother, the role of a good daughter here is based on giving good guidance and acting in confidence for your siblings when they are unable to confide every problem to the parents.

3. Appreciate them often

Appreciate whatever they do for you and consciously make it a point to thank them for their efforts to give you a good life. This is an important part of letting them know that you do understand how hard they are trying. When you achieve success in life, let everyone know how they helped you get there.

2. Live your life well

Tackle your problems with maturity- A good daughter takes her life seriously and does her academics and other work with dedication. Make your decisions while weighing the pros and cons and go on looking for growth opportunities to make your parents proud of you. Attempt to model yourself as a successful and independent woman or at best, work on developing good traits that indicate your efforts to stay on the right track in life in whatever role you choose to take.

1. Respect them

A sign of being a good daughter also involves respecting your parents. This respect basically means that your body language is receptive and displays no hostility or boredom when trying to discuss something with them. The tone of voice must be kept polite even though you may not agree with them entirely. You must never answer back rudely and know where to draw the line between asserting herself and being aggressive. During a time of conflicting views, avoid losing your temper and shout or snap at them. Do your best to listen to their intuition over certain people and situations and never make them feel like their feedback over improvement is ignored. Avoid using statements like their suggestions and understanding is outdated for whatever context it was used. This is very hurtful and often leads to distancing in the relationship. Thus, being a good daughter is basically about respect and exercising it in various tenets of life.